How NCST will regulate Roots Drinks with MOH and BSJ forcing Neville Bell to go homemade

“We are drinking these, whether in tea form or drink form and we want to ensure that they meet a certain minimum standard”

Director General of the NCST (National Council on Science and Technology), Professor Errol Morrison on the coming regulations for Roots Beverages

Neville Bell, the famous media personality on Smile Jamaica, a morning time program on local television station Television Jamaica who loves to drink his clicky-click, clickity-clack and Sarsaparilla, which are popular roots beverages in Jamaica, may soon have to start paying more for Roots Beverages.

This a plans are now being formulated by the NCTS (National Council on Science and Technology) to regulate Roots Beverages as reported in the article “NCST Pushes for Regulation of Roots Beverages”, published January 20, 2016 By Tomeica Gunn, The Jamaica Information Service. 

The coming regulations will see roots beverages and other healing potions, be they plant, animal or mineral extracts being classified as nutraceuticals to quote: “We want to identify it as a proper category. We are hoping that within another year, all being well, we should have the teeth to ensure that the industry meets certain minimum (standards)".

This story is huge, as the Jamaica Gleaner, The Jamaica Observer and even Loop Jamaica have all carried the article ad verbatim.

So what exactly are roots beverages?

NCST to regulate Roots Beverages - Roots beverages as Neutraceuticals regulated like tonics

Many Jamaicans make roots beverages, including the man who sells Neville Bell  to sell to the public and they indeed do have a lot of healthy ingredients as noted in the article entitled “How safe are roots tonic beverages?” published July 27, 2015 , By Donovan Grant, The Jamaica Observer.

Some of the more popular roots beverages made by the man on the street are:

1.      Chaney root

2.      Sarsaparilla

3.      Hug me tight

4.      Raw moon

5.      Medina

Add a dash of alcohol, whether manually or via fermentation and you have a roots wine. Tell me if you recognize any of these brands:

1.      Allman Strength Roots Drink

2.      Baba

3.      Ginger Joy

4.      Ginger Wine with Ginseng

5.      Kola Wine

6.      Lion Brand

7.      Magnum

8.      Pump It Up

9.      Zion Roots

For example sarsaparilla, alledgedly one of Neville Bell's favorite beverages, should contain the following vitamins and minerals:

1.      B complex

2.      Copper

3.      Iodine

4.      Iron

5.      Manganese

6.      Silicon

7.      Sodium

8.      Sulphur

9.      Vitamin C

10.  Vitamin D

11.  Vitamins A

12.  Zinc

Despite this, according to Registered Pharmacist Diane Robertson, once they have the word “tonic” written on them as noted in the article “Roots tonics - how legit are they?”, published Monday, September 01, 2003 by Gwyneth Harold, The Jamaica Observer, they have to be registered with the MOH (Ministry of Health).

So what will these regulations involve?

Regulation for Roots beverages by Bureau of Standards, Ministry of Health - Why homebrew roots beverages will begin to rise

Roots beverages will be re-classified a neutraceuticals as noted in the article “Professor Morrison pushes for regulation of roots beverages”, published Thursday, January 21, 2016, The Jamaica Observer.

Roots beverages and will be coming under the same regulations and guidelines as tonics as it relates to:

1.      Methods of preparation

2.      Reliability of the product

3.      Standard for labelling

4.      Standards of packaging

This implies that not only will the Ministry of Health will be involved in making the distinction between roots beverages and tonics, but they'll also receive assistance from the BSJ (Bureau of Standards) as it relates to packaging and labelling guidelines. Non-compliant producer of Roots beverages might probably get assistance from the SRC (Scientific Research Council) to get their preparations up to snuff.

So technically this even covers Colloidal silver, the miracle panacea that's made of a suspension of Silver Oxide (Ag₂O) as described in the article “The Miracle Water - Residents Say Colloidal Silver Cures Everything”, Published Saturday June 15, 2013, The Jamaica Gleaner, will be classified as a neutraceutical and will also fall under these coming regulations.

This may even extend to fruit blends such as Soursop with honey as described in my blog article entitled “How annonaceous acetogenins in Soursop Plant Cures Cancer”. 

It'll be interesting to see how they'll go after the regular man on the street who brews his concoctions and even the people who makes their roots beverages using ingredients that they can grow in their backyard.

If anything, with the coming of the Zika Virus, now in Haiti as noted in my blog article entitled “Why Haiti and Guyana Zika Virus cases means Jamaica will get Zika Virus by Valentine's Day” there will be an increase in homebrewing of roots and medicinal herbs at home.

After all, if they contain Vitamin C and B complex, then there is no need to buy them at the pharmacy, once you know how to extract the vitamins and minerals without damaging them. Hint: avoid using direct heat, only water baths, steep the crushed roots, preferably with a mortar and pestil in distilled water or 100% overproof Rum and use a centrifuge to separate the different fractions after steeping for a week.

These regulations imply not only the Ministry of Health and the Bureau of Standards being involved, but the Jamaican Police coming in to make sure there are no breaches. That includes Neville Bell, who might start brewing his clicky-click, clickity-clack and sarsaparilla roots beverages at home to avoid paying for regulated roots!